The present disclosure relates generally to an outdoor umbrella stabilizer system. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a system for stabilizing beach, patio, deck and other outdoor umbrellas in windy conditions.
People enjoy spending their leisure time outdoors. Many invest in outdoor furniture for entertaining and relaxing, often spending large sums of money for outdoor furnishings, on par with amounts spent on decorating interior rooms. In addition to chairs, tables, chaise lounges and couches that are found indoors and outdoors, there is an essential furnishing that is unique to outdoor furnishings, an outdoor umbrella. The outdoor umbrella with an over-size canopy on a deck or a patio provides shade for someone sitting outside during the day. Increasing awareness of the dangers of overexposure to the sun's burning rays has given the umbrella the status of an essential piece of equipment on the deck or the patio. These umbrellas are both functional and decorative, costing hundreds of dollars, sometimes even into the thousands.
Similarly, people enjoy the outdoors at the beach. The outdoor umbrella, along with a blanket, a cooler full of drinks and sunscreen, is essential for a comfortable and healthful day on the beach. This outdoor umbrella, usually a stand-alone style, referred to as a beach umbrella, protects the beach-goer from the direct sunburn-causing rays with an over-sized canopy and provides cooling shade. While less expensive than a decorative deck or patio umbrella, owners want to obtain many occasions of use when purchasing one. Many hotels and private beaches invest in a large numbers of these umbrellas that bear the establishment's trademark and desire to keep the beach umbrellas in top condition, reflecting on the quality of the establishment.
Deck and patio outdoor umbrellas generally are available in two styles, center pole and cantilever. The center pole style is the most typical style for beach umbrellas as well as being a common style for deck and patio umbrellas. The center pole style umbrella generally sits in a stand, the pole extending to the center of the umbrella canopy, the canopy extending outward from the center by a plurality of ribs. On the beach, the bottom of the center pole is placed into an auger or similar holder and driven into the sand. On the deck or patio, the bottom of the center pole fits into a holder in a weighted stand. Often, the center pole is inserted into a center hole in a tabletop, attaching to the tabletop or extending down into a weighted stand, so that the umbrella shades the table.
The cantilever style has a vertical pole extending from a bottom stand and a horizontal arm extending out. The umbrella hangs from a distal end of the extended horizontal arm, the top center of the umbrella canopy extending out from the end of the arm, the ribs extending the canopy from underneath. The cantilever style is used to shade tables, chaise lounges, couches, or chairs or wherever shade is needed.
Deck and patio umbrellas are generally set up at the beginning of the outdoor living season and forgotten about. Heavy summer storms often occur at night or when no one is at home to furl the umbrella to protect it from wind damage. Similarly at the beach, a sudden unexpected gust of wind, twenty miles per hour or more, comes off the water, wrecking havoc with the beach umbrella, causing the umbrella to turn inside out twisting, warping, contorting, buckling, deforming or toppling it, thereby damaging the ribs and the canopy. The beach-goer has no time to furl the umbrella to protect it.
Many have proposed ways to prevent wind damage to these umbrellas. Generally, a device that works on the beach umbrella will only work on that style of umbrella and will not work on a patio umbrella or deck umbrella, especially a cantilever. There is not a single solution that adapts to all styles of these oversize umbrellas.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present disclosure as disclosed hereafter.